The little girl was wearing a dingy dress and her brother, who was slightly older, had a sweet smile and hair that looked like he had cut it himself.  Their eyes were as wide as silver dollars as they peeped just above the counter, astounded by practically 300 pairs of beady eyes staring back at them.  I thought of my own closet at home, brimming with grinning alligators, floppy-eared puppies, and at least three dozen beanie babies that I had long since outgrown.  As I secretly ushered the two children into the room where I was working, I thought:  “These could be the first stuffed animals they have ever owned.”   I let those children choose their toys, even though it was against the rules for me to let anyone into the room.  I was supposed to distribute whatever plush toy I could snag the fastest.  The kids were rushing around the room, frantically searching to find matching frogs.  Praying that there were at least two of the unusual animal trapped somewhere within the piles, I was relieved to see them parade away, tightly hugging their treasures.  I met their father’s watery eyes, and for a moment, his grateful smile cloaked his weariness. In that fleeting moment, he seemed to say “Thank you” much more effectively than he ever could have with words.

I turned my attention to the next eager patron.  The iron haired woman shuffled close to the counter looking as anxious as the children who had just left.  She asked in a timid voice, “Could I have a couple for my grandchildren?”  Although I wanted to grasp her hand like an old friend’s, I just politely nodded my head and asked which ones she would like.  She pointed to at least six different animals, so I poked them all into a large plastic bag and watched as she ambled away, clinging to all of the precious cargo she would later give away as Christmas gifts.

This was not my first volunteering experience, and it was certainly not my last. The hours I spent handing out stuffed animals at the New Frontier Thanksgiving Dinner are perhaps some of the most memorable of my entire life.  For the first time, I completely understood the trite saying “It is better to give than to receive.”  I began to realize how much I have, and more importantly, I began to realize how much I have to give to others and to my community.

The experience changed me. I now search for the reward and satisfaction of helping others in all things that I do.  That day at the New Frontier Dinner spurred me to continue my volunteer work, and to make volunteering a major part of my life.  Prior to this particular volunteer experience, I was more focused on my personal endeavors.  One of my most time consuming activities was playing soccer. I practiced soccer three times a week and played multiple games on the weekends. I actually left the Thanksgiving dinner that day much sooner than I would have liked because of a soccer game.  I now realize what is really more important to me.  Although I still love to play soccer, I recently decided to stop playing club soccer during my last year of high school so that I could shift my focus to volunteer work.  It was a difficult choice, but I realized that I could impact many more people by working to improve my community than by scoring goals on the soccer field.

As a result of a single day of volunteering, I have altered my entire lifestyle to focus more on others than on myself.  I now work at the Bartow Advocates for Children Shelter several days a week.  Although my work at the shelter and my general volunteering is still invaluable to me, my experience at the New Frontier dinner remains a major milestone in my life.  It was the point in time that prompted me to branch out and become a more active volunteer worker.  Who knew that handing out stuffed frogs would lead my life in an entirely different direction and help me positively impact others in a way that I genuinely love?